Automatic checking or counting device



' 2 Sheets-sheaf l 1 Kati/12W April 20, 1937. M. H. MORSE, JR

I AUTOMATIC CHECKING OR COUNTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 20, 1955 April 1937- 7 H. MORS-E, JR 2,077,767

AUTOMATIC CHECKING OR COUNTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 20, 1955 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 50 JEY' rlrizu4,

I Z l l Patented Apr. 20, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE auromrro'cnaoxmo on ooms'rmo l 1 a navrcr.

Matthew Morse, Jr., New Orleans, La. Application-September 20, 1935, Serial No. 41,455 :3 c aims. (c1. 235-99) This invention relates to automatic checking or counting devices, and more particularly todevices designed to check or count the individual number of articles passing'a particular point. An object of this invention is to provide a checking or counting device which will automatically check the number of' persons or conveyances passing a particular point in one direction, the device being so constructed that persons or conveyances passing in the opposite direction will not register on the device.

Another object of'this invention isto provide a device of this character which is portable so that it may be usedat any point where material is being moved or persons are passing, thedevice including means whereby the operation of the device can be readily adjusted to count or check material or persons in first one direction and then in the opposite direction.

A further object of this invention is the pro vision of an automatic checking or counting device which can be readily adjusted so as to check or count material or persons of a given weight or over, the device being inoperative for checking or counting of material orpersons of a less weight than that for which the device has been set. J-

With the foregoing and'other objects in view, theinvention will be more fully described hereinaiter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding throughout the several views,

5 Figure l is a detail side elevation, partly in vertical section, of a device constructed according to an embodiment of this invention, one wall of the vertical casing or housing beingremoved.

Figure 2 is a top plan, partly broken away,

of the device.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the device with the end wall of the housing removed.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. M I

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2, and

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l0 designates generally a base structure which may be made out of a single casting or may be laminated, being constructed with a bottom plate II and a pair of spaced apart top plates l2 which may be secured to the bottom plate H by rivets l3, by welding or by any other suitable fastening means. 5

Preferably the base II] has inclined faces 14 so that a wheeled conveyance may readily run up on the base for checking or registry by the hereinafter described mechanism.

A housing I5 is secured to the base l0 adja- 10 cent one end thereof, and this housing may be secured to the base by anysuitable means so that the housing I5 will be fixed relative to the base Ill.

The base I0 is provided with a treadle or rock- 15 able member l6 which is journalled in bearings I! carried by the base. This treadle or rockable member I6 is constructed in the present instance of an elongated bar or shaft provided with oil?- set portions l8 which will be normally disposed above the surface of the base I. The adjacent 20 loops'or ofiset portions 18 are connected by a connecting bar l9 so that a relatively straight obstruction will be provided which is adapted to contact with a wheel or wheels of a conveyance or to be otherwise tripped by the passage of a person or persons over the base Ill. The base I0 is provided with recesses 20 so that any dirt or other material falling between adjacent edges of the top plates I2 may be readily cleaned out. Filler members 2| are provided between the arms of theo'fiset portions It! so as to provide a relat-ively smooth top surface over which the material may be moved.

"The member l6 comprises an operating memher for the counting or checking mechanism, and one end of the operating member l6 has a crank portion 22 disposed within the housing l5, and a spring 23 is secured at one end to the crank portion 22 and at the other end to the housing I5 in a manner to maintain the crank 22 and the offset portions l8 in raised position at all times.

The housing l5 has a frame structure 2! disposed therein at a point above the bottom thereof, and a vertically slidable rod 25 is slidably carried by the frame 24. Preferably the rod 25 is round, and is secured as by a set screw 26 to a block 21 which slidably engages a guide 28 carried by the frame 24.

The rod 25 is provided at its lower end with 5 a forked member 29, and a pair of reach rods or adjustable connecting links 30 and 3| are secured to the fork 29 by a pin 32, the rods 30, 3| being provided at their upper ends with eyes through which the pin 32 passes. 55

The rods 30, 3| are of similar construction and are provided at their lower ends with crank engaging hooks 33 and 34 respectively. A guide member 35 extends across the housing i5, being secured to opposite walls of the housing, and this guide member I is provided with an elongated slot 36 in which the rods 30, 3| are slidable. A spring 31 is secured at one end to the rod 30 and at the otherend to the rod 3|, and operates to maintain one or theother of fthese'rods in operative position for engagement with the crank 22.

I 5 with one portion thereof disposed betwee the rods 30, 3|, and this bell crank 38 is'adjusted by means of a second bell crank 39 in the for-nix of a crank handle which extends outwardly of the housing l5. position by means of a springr'pressed pin 40 :en',-

gaging in a selected recess provided in a wall of I the housing (5. The crank 38 is braced by meansjota bracket or-bracing member-4L In the present instance thecrank38 has a grooved wheel 42, mounted thereonwhich is adapted to engageone or the otherofithe rods 3ll,,3,lso as to hold such rod in inoperative position, as shown in FigureB. The opposite endsrofthe guide member 35 are provided'with flanged portions 43 which may besecured as by bolts or rivets 44 to the oppo'site walls of -the;housing l5. The guidemember 35 'may, also beprovided with a stop member 45 at substantially the center thereof so as to maintain .oneof the rods 30, 31 in vertical operative position while the other rod is held in inoperative position by the holding-mem- =ber38. The upper end of the slidable rod is threaded as at 46, and'a tensioning spring: 41 is disposed about the rod 25, being tensioned by tensioning nuts 48 mounted on the threaded portion 46..

The lower end of the spring 41 bears against the top of the frame 24. The upper end ofthe rod 25 has an eye 49 securedthereto, and thiseye 49 is connected to a countingmeohanism 50 of conventional character which is mounted on the top wall of the housing 15. i v

In the operation of this device; the base lll and the housing l5 :are placed in. thepath of the movement of the material or persons, and the adjusting member 39is adjusted-so as to holdthe.

desired rod 30,- 3| out of the path ofthe. crank 22. In thismanne r rocki-ngof thetreadlejor operating member, 16 in one, direction will cause the crank 22 to engage one oithc. hooks 33,34, whereas rocking of the operating membeipid in the opposite; direction will carry thecrank- 22 away iromqthe previouslyengaged hook. For instance if, asshownin Fig, B the rod 30. is sele ted as the operating member fora-the counting mechanism .50, thehook 33 will be disposed in operative'position, whereas the hook 34: carried by the rod 3| will be held in inoperativev po sition by the holdingmember 38; The spring 41' can be' adjusted as to tension by the nuts 48 so that the treadle or operating member 16 will not be: active except .under a predetermined weight A bell crank 38 is carried by the housing.

The crank 39is held in adjusted or a weight in excess of the predetermined weight. The bearings for the treadle or operating member l6, and the bearings for the other moving parts may be of an anti-friction construction so that the moving parts may freely move.

This device may be made stationary by fastening the base 10 to a floor or other surface, or if desired the device may be readily moved from one point oftoperation toanother, so that counting or checking may be made at any desired point and without requiring the persons or material to move in any particular path, especially a path which, is not. a convenient or usual path. win will be obvious that various changes may be madeinthe construction, combination and arrangementof parts which could be used without .aedeparting-from. the spirit of our invention, and

I do notmean. to limit the invention to such details'exc'ept as particularly pointed out in the claims... I r

, Having thus described .my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United states is:- Y I 1..In an automatic-checking device wherein a rockable'operating memberactuates a counter through interconnecting means, the combination as apart of said interconnecting means of two movably mounted hooks adapted toengage-said rockable operating member from opposite sides, and means positioned relatively to said hooks for selectively moving one orthe'other hook out of operative engagement with said operating member. I

2. In 7 an automatic checking device of the class wherein a rockable operating member actuates ,a counter through interconnecting means, said interconnecting means including a pair of hooks adapted to engage said rockable operate ing-member from opposite sides and movably mounted toengage-and disengagesaid rockable operating member, yieldable means normally tending to, draw both said hooks together into operative; engagement with said rockable operating member, and a control means positioned between said hooks; and :movablein one or the other direction to cause movement of one or the other hookpiituof engagement with said'rockable operating memberqj 1-, 3. In arr-automatic checking: deviceof the class wherein a rockable op ating member actuates a counter, through interconnec in means, said interconnecting; means including a, pair of pivotally mounted hooks having oppositely disposed bills and adapted to swing; in opposite directions into andv out of. operative engagement with said rockable operating member, amanuallyadjustable control shaft mounted adjacent said hooks, and a crankon said shaft extending' between the hooks and operable through said shaft-to swing one or theother oi the hooks, out of operative engagement with said rockable operating member. I V I r; MATTHEW H. noasn n. 

